Warriors: A Light in the Darkness
by IndigoC
Summary: Physically and emotionally scarred tom Bluelight is a warrior of IceClan, whose territory lies on the side of a gigantic snow covered mountain. When their deputy goes missing and strangers begin to appear out of the white abyss from beyond their territory with unbelievable stories, Bluelight starts to question whether they are fully aware of all the dangers that surround them.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

"The 10th Victim"

" _Rainkit is gone."_

Those were the first words out of Nightfrost's mouth the moment Bluelight returned to camp from a long hunting patrol with Goldfire. His reaction was slow as he stared back at his mother's terrified expression. What had she said? Did that even make sense?

The large vole Bluelight had been carrying dropped from his mouth, landing in the snow at his feet.

"Wha…what do you mean 'gone'?"

But Nightfrost could not answer him. The shock had willed her into silence and seemingly swept the energy from her legs as she suddenly collapsed and curled into a shivering ball of black fur. Another she-cat, Indigoheart, rushed to her side and purred soothing words into her ear while trying to get her to move to the warriors' den. Bluelight continued to stare, paralyzed with confusion. As his clanmate, Mintshade, approached him, he forced himself to speak.

"I don't understand…what's going on? Where's Rainkit? What happened?"

The smaller tom had his head bowed but raised his eyes to meet Bluelight's.

"It…it was the White Death. The kits were playing right in the middle of camp, and then…Nightfrost was the only one who saw it. It came of out nowhere, and it was gone just as fast. I'm so sorry…."

The White Death…it had claimed nine victims so far, seven kits and two young apprenctices. And Rainkit…his own baby brother, who he loved more than anything…was the tenth.

His mind could not comprehend what he had just been told. He saw nothing but the snow falling all around camp, chilling the already cold air, and there was no sound. The shock that had sent his mother to the ground now swam in his bones and froze his blood . Silence, and endless white. He didn't even hear Goldfire beside him, trying to get his attention.

"Hey…Bluelight? Hey, come on. Look at me, Blue."

When Goldfire finally nudged his shoulder, Bluelight responded, swiveling his head to stare into his best friend's amber gaze. The young tom's ears drooped and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Bluelight's with genuine sorrow in his voice.

"I'm so sorry, Blue. I'm so…so sorry."

Goldfire's own sadness made sense. Though they had been related by blood, the ginger and white tom had been almost as close to the tiny black and white kit and his own brother. In fact, everyone had loved Rainkit. The loss would deeply affect every cat in IceClan without a doubt. But for Bluelight, whose only friends had been Goldfire, the odd medicine cat Fogpelt and his baby brother, the loss was more than heart-breaking. It was soul-shattering.

Much discussion followed, and though his body and spirit were completely numb, he listened to every word intently. Every cat demanded blood, tired of watching their future warriors picked off one by one as if they were nothing but prey. It was not a new topic, and attempts had already been made to put an end to the White Death's reign of terror. But these attempts had yielded certain facts that made the act of finding and killing this monster next to impossible.

Two patrols had been sent, one lead by their own leader Bearstar, but both had resulted in the loss of an apprentice, despite the efforts of IceClan's strongest. The most disturbing fact attained was in regard to the creature's likely nesting place. Although it had not been officially confirmed, based on what the patrols had found, the White Death lived on a part of the mountain that was not only outside their territory but was so steep and dangerous, cats were forbidden to venture there by clan leaders ages ago. The trees on that side of the mountain were so tall they gave the impression that the ground was even. This misleading appearance had claimed many lives over the years and cats that traveled too close were never seen again. However, these enormous pines were also the perfect home for winged predators….

If not for Bearstar's booming growl of a voice, the IceClan leader might have been completely drowned out by the angry howls and screeches from his clanmates.

"Enough now! I can hear you all just fine without the raised voices. And I hear what you are saying, and I agree. This is an issue that is long overdue for being resolved, but none of you are a stranger to the fact that we have been trying, so we must approach this from a different angle. However, there is a storm coming, we can all feel it. It should be here by nightfall. The need to avenge our fallen clanmates is stronger than ever, and it will be done. But we must be careful not to endanger more lives in the process. We must be smarter than it is, more diligent. We must come up with a plan using new strategies, and we must work together. But we must wait…not much longer, but long enough for this storm to pass. In the meantime, we can solidify this plan to ensure its success. I need to know that all of you understand what I am saying."

Before anyone else could respond, Moonscar, an older, dark gray warrior, pushed his way in front of the rest.

"What we _need_ to do is find this thing where it lives and attack when it's least expecting it" he snarled. "Sure, the storm is dangerous, but what if it's the cover we need to come up behind it without being noticed? We could talk and strategize and whatever else till we're all blue in the face and still not succeed. So what good is more yap gonna do?"

Halfnight, the clan deputy, reacted first, stepping in front of the slightly smaller tom with narrowed eyes.

"Show more respect for your leader, Moonscar. You best of all should understand his reasoning. Have you really forgotten Silvercloud and Stripepaw? Some way to honor their memory."

Moonscar immediately raised his hackles and bared his teeth with a hiss. "Don't you _dare_ utter their names again or I'll rip both of your ears off and make you uglier than you are now, you pathetic foxdung!"

"Ugly?" Halfnight smirked. "You're one to talk, _one eye._ "

Before Moonscar could lunge at the deputy, Bearstar roared over the commotion.

"ENOUGH! None of this is going to help in the least. Did you not hear the part where I said 'we must work together'?"

Moonscar dipped his head in shame, still growling quietly under his breath, while Halfnight merely joined his leader on the ledge.

"The storm will be here shortly. We shall take the night to rest and grieve. Stonefall and Treeshadow, you will keep first watch. Then Halfnight and Rivergaze will take over. At dawn, we will begin building our plan. All voices will be heard, and all ideas taken into consideration. But under no circumstances is anyone allowed to leave camp until the storm is through. Are we clear?"

Satisfied by the overall yowl of agreement, Bearstar climbed down the ledge and went inside his den, saying something quietly to Halfnight. As the others dispersed, Moonscar stayed seated, glaring after the leader and deputy as they disappeared from view. He didn't even acknowledge Fogpelt sitting beside him until he leaned in close to his ear.

"Feeling a little irritated, brother? I got somethin' for that."

Moonscar didn't even look at him.

"Shut up."

Bluelight, too, remained in place after every other cat had gone to their respective dens. He jumped a little when Goldfire brushed his tail against Bluelight's muzzle.

"C'mon, buddy. Let's get some rest, you really need it."

Bluelight reluctantly followed his friend to the warriors' den, but he could not think of rest. Other ideas swam in his mind, along with Moonscar's words, and he knew deep down what would happen next. Sometime during the night, he was going to leave, and he would not return until he had gotten his revenge. Either that…or he would not return at all.

Leaving camp completely unnoticed was a challenge. Bluelight had to be extra careful when climbing out of his nest in the warriors den, as it was right next to Goldfire who was known for his exceptional hearing. But it wasn't as hard getting by Treeshadow and Stonefall since Bluelight used a secret entrance that he and Goldfire made to sneak out when they were apprentices. Once outside the camp, the sheer force of the blizzard was made clear. Bluelight had forgotten how secure their camp really was until he felt the icy wind blast against his face and through his fur, chilling him to the core. Bluelight shuddered. Of all the ways he could die tonight, freezing to death seemed most likely at the moment.

He began his trek through the dense snow, his tired limbs fueled purely by determination. He veered right, heading towards the steepest part of the mountainside where the creature was believed to live. He did not even consider the possibility of that assumption being wrong. The White Death was there, he could feel it. He could not hear the voices of StarClan like a medicine cat, but if he did, they would have told him to trust his instinct.

As he pushed through the storm, Bluelight was occasionally halted by an unexpected noise from somewhere behind him. He stopped dead in his tracks each time, raising his head and scanning around for anything out of place, despite the poor visibility. Finally, a loud crunch directly behind him caused Bluelight to whirl around and bare his fangs.

"I can hear you!" he snarled. "I know I'm being followed, so show yourself!"

After a few seconds, Bluelight could make out a bright orange blur approaching him. His body immediately relaxed as Goldfire came into view.

"So you _can_ hear me then. What a relief! Honestly, Blue. I was beginning to worry that your ears didn't work at all! Do you have any idea how loud you are?"

Bluelight gave him a funny look. "How loud _I_ am? How about that deafening noise _you_ just made?"

Goldfire chuckled. "I made that noise on purpose, fuzz brain. You know, to make sure you weren't actually deaf or something."

Bluelight turned away, head bowed slightly in embarrassment. "You know my hearing has never been the best…."

"I know" Goldfire meowed, stepping closer. "That's why you and I stick together, right? With your eyes and my ears, we're an unstoppable team. Which brings me to my next question…what exactly were you thinking leaving camp _alone_?"

Bluelight faced him, eyes narrowed slightly. "I think you already know the answer to that."

Goldfire's ears twitched. "Sure I do, but did you really think I was going to let you?"

Bluelight huffed. "You can't stop me, Goldfire. You could drag me back by the scruff and it still wouldn't work. I'm going and that's it. So please don't get in my way…."

Goldfire walked past him casually with a playful glint in his eyes. "But I'm so good at getting in the way. Regardless, I never actually intended on stopping you. I'm coming _with_ you, of course."

Bluelight's eyes widened and he hurried after his friend. "No, you can't! I can't have you dragged into this, too. I might not even make it back…I'm going after this thing and I'm willing to give my life is necessary."

"That's why I'm coming along, to make sure you don't have to" the other tom replied. "And I'm just as willing to give my life right beside you."

With these words, Goldfire stopped and turned to look back at his clan mate. "Rainkit was like my little brother, too. He was a future IceClan warrior, and it's just as much my duty as it is yours to avenge him. So that's what we're going to do, and we'll either make it back alive…or we won't. At least we'll be together."

For a few moments, neither tom said a word. But no words were needed. Despite the fear of putting his best friend's life in danger, Bluelight was secretly relieved that he was there. The chances of success no longer seemed so unlikely.

To save face, Bluelight marched on ahead with a small glare in Goldfire's direction. "Fine, but if you talk the whole way, I'm burying you in the snow and fetching you on the way back."

"Me? Talk? What a silly idea. I have to say Blue, I'm fairly insulted. I mean, I'm not as quiet as Stonefall, but I pride myself as a cat of few words. Only saying what needs to be said. If I open my mouth, it's because I have pure, elder-worthy wisdom to share. So I say to you, I am not the type to talk on and on unnecessarily. I merely say my piece, and then I'm done. And you're lucky if you'll hear my voice again for a long time. In fact, you'll probably miss the sound of it. I mean, if I do say so myself, I real-"

BAFF! Goldfire's rant was cut short (but not short enough) when Bluelight leapt at him with all four paws outstretched, shoving him sideways right into a large snow drift.

"That's what you get for calling my bluff, ya dumb hairball. See you when I get back!"

As the black and white tom walked off, Goldfire's head popped out of the snow, shaking from wildly from side to side.

"Still don't know how to take joke, I see. You never disappoint."

Even he couldn't see the smirk on Bluelight's face, he knew it was there.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"White Death"

It seemed like an eternity before the two young IceClan warriors reached their destination, the very outer edge of their territory. Bluelight spotted it first, his eyes catching a glimpse of the towering tree tops that made the area appear flat and safe for passage. He immediately warned his companion.

"Hold up. It's right ahead of us."

Goldfire stopped and peered through the wind.

"I'm glad _you_ can see it. Those eyes of yours really are something."

Cautiously, Bluelight and Goldfire proceeded forward with slow steps so that they could feel the angle of the ground beneath the snow and their feet. Soon, even Goldfire could make out the shapes of the towering pines, reaching so high that a few of them disappeared into the low-hanging storm clouds.

Besides what they couldn't help, neither tom made a sound. An unspoken dread hung between them, causing their young hearts to race. Bluelight did not need to ask Goldfire to listen carefully and alert him of any unusual noises. He could see the ginger and white tom's ears moving rapidly, taking in everything. Likewise, Bluelight kept his eyes open as wide as he could and constantly scanned their surroundings. Their target, unfortunately, was just as pure white as the snow that stretched out endlessly on all sides of them. Both toms used their noses, sniffing the air for the acrid smell of carrion. The scent of death…a telltale sign of a winged predator's nest. It would be faint though, so they had to be careful or they might miss it entirely.

As they circled the base of each pine, Bluelight began to wonder if in fact the nest was so well hidden, finding its location from the ground would be impossible. He imagined the two of them climbing every single tree on the cliff and suddenly, his limbs felt very heavy. What choice did they have?

He swung his head in Goldfire's direction. "I think we need to split up."

Goldfire blinked at him. "Terrible idea. You seem to be full of them tonight."

Bluelight growled quietly. "Only far enough so that we can cover more ground. Staying close enough that we can still see each other. That's what I meant."

His friend sighed. "Then you should have said 'spread out' not split up."

"Whatever. I'll take the right side, you take the left."

Goldfire nodded and the two toms separated, weaving in and out of the trees while keeping their ears and eyes sharp. Every so often, Bluelight would glance over to make sure he could still see Goldfire, and his clan mate did the same. After a little while, the young warrior lost track of how many trees he had checked and focused only on the scents. Despite the low howling of the wind, the area was eerily silent. Normally, he could hear the quiet stirring of prey in the trees or the soft sound of other wildlife making their way through the snow, and large clumps of snow falling from the tree branches with a distinctive "thud". But tonight, there was nothing. What noises the storm did not drown out were absent entirely. It created a very unsettling atmosphere.

Suddenly, images of Rainkit swam into his mind. He saw his baby brother's face, the large, round blue eyes that were too big for his tiny body. The way he always bounded around Bluelight's feet, tripping him, begging for stories of what lay outside the camp. He was full of spirit, thirsty for adventure, and ambitious. Bluelight had looked forward to the days when he and his brother could go on patrols together, explore the ocean of snow that covered their territory, and fight side by side as loyal IceClan warriors. And then, the images changed. He saw Rainkit playing in the middle of camp with the other kits, and then…a monstrous form descended from the sky, crashing through the pine branch ceiling with wings beating and talons outstretched. He saw Rainkit's face twist in horror as the claws came down around him, and then-

Bluelight let out a cry of alarm as he suddenly ran headfirst into the trunk of one of the pine trees. The vision…no, the nightmare…disappeared and Bluelight was painfully brought back to reality, but not entirely. He was dimly aware of Goldfire calling his name but, as his head throbbed, Bluelight felt his heart twist in his chest and he simply sat in the snow, defeated.

 _I failed him. I wasn't there to protect him…and now he's dead. I failed…I failed…_

Goldfire rushed to his friend's side and stopped, staring at his faraway, wide-eyed expression.

"Hey, Bluelight! What happened? Why did you make that noise? Blue?"

Bluelight did not answer but just kept mumbling, shaking his head side to side. "He died….cause I wasn't there…it's my fault…I failed him…I failed my mother…I failed…."

Goldfire frowned. "C'mon Blue, snap out of it. Blue?"

When he still did not answer, the ginger and white tom raked up some snow with his paw and flung it into Bluelight's face. It worked.

Bluelight yowled, swiping at his own face with his front paw. "Wha…what in the name of StarClan did you do that for?"

"Cause you were losing it. Listen, Blue. You cannot blame yourself for what happened, I've told you that. You didn't fail anyone, okay? This thing is obviously pretty smart. It waited until the least amount of warriors were around to attack. There's no way you could have known. And…geez, it was just a little snow!"

Bluelight's continued to wipe at his face while glaring at his friend. "Just snow, my tail! There was clearly a rock or something in there too!"

"You're just being a drama queen. I wouldn't have flung a rock at you. I would have seen it."

"Well, something hard hit me, I know that much."

At that moment, both toms dropped their gazes to the ground where, laying at Bluelight's feet, was something buried halfway in the snow. Goldfire reached forward with one paw and dug it out, revealing a small chunk of bone. The warriors looked at each other, and then started digging through the rest of the snow, finding more bone fragments of different shapes and sizes. Most belonged to small prey animals, but a few were too big.

"What the heck?" Goldfire exclaimed, staring at a piece of a jawbone. "Why are these just laying here?"

The toms' eyes met again, and together, their craned their heads upward, from the base of the tree to where the canopy began. They drank the air, and despite the bitter coldness of it, they could taste the very subtle scent of carrion. The answer was suddenly very clear.

They looked at each other one last time.

"I think…we found it" Bluelight said quietly.

Goldfire's ears pulled back.

"Dammit."

For a few moments, the two warriors sat quietly as they processed the new information. Goldfire was the first to break the silence.

"So…now what?"

Bluelight purposely did not look his friend in the eyes. "Well…we climb the tree. Find the nest."

"This 'bad idea' thing of yours is really getting serious. You should have Fogpelt take a look at you when we get back…if we get back."

"There's not much point in just sitting at the base, now is there? Plus, we need to confirm that we actually found it. It might not be the right tree, we have to be sure."

"We could only be so lucky."

Tired of discussion, Bluelight proceeded to climb the trunk, digging his claws deep into the bark. Noises behind him confirmed that Goldfire was following. It took several minutes, and a few close calls as the wind threatened to blow them clean off, before they reached the bottom layer of the canopy. Bluelight closed his eyes and pressed through the prickly pine branches, hoisting himself up onto the nearest one that would support his weight. Seconds later, Goldfire was beside him.

"Well, that was fun. I wonder why we don't have our camp at the top of a massive tree like this one? You could roll out of your nest in the morning and fall nine hundred tail-lengths to the ground. That would certainly be motivating."

But Bluelight ignored him. He was more focused on how powerful the carrion stench had become now that they were in the branches. It was so strong that it stung his eyes.

Goldfire reacted as well. "Not to mention the lovely aromas. So I'm guessing we either found it, or some poor soul climbed up here and died instead of climbing down."

Bluelight moved around the branches carefully, following the smell. Then he saw it.

Inside a large hole in the trunk, which looked like it had been literally clawed out, was the nest. The reek of it as Bluelight got closer was almost unbearable. Despite that, it was fairly well hidden. Bluelight could see the lining inside, made of various twigs, feathers and…fur. And bones. Lots of them. The White Death was a messy eater, so confident in its predatory dominance that it did not bother to keep it's resting place clean. The sight of it all was filthy and vile. And to top it off, Bluelight saw a distinctive clump of white fur, spotted with black, mangled amongst the debris. Rainkit's face popped into his mind again. The likely hood of that fur belonging to his brother was fairly unlikely, but it still made the young tom's blood boil.

"You're awful close, Blue" Goldfire said quietly from behind him. "Be careful. I assume it's not home right now, but it could come back any second. Let's not give it the impression that dinner now delivers itself."

The other tom swung his head around, eyes blazing with hatred and cold determination.

"I'm going to wait for it to come back."

Goldfire's amber eyes widened in shock. "What!? Bluelight, of all the horrendously bad ideas you've had tonight, this is the WORST. You can't fight that thing in the top of a tree! What kind of advantage do you have up here?"

"The element of surprise for one. It'll never expect to be attacked right outside its own nest. Even if I fall, all I have to do is mortally wound it and the job is done."

Goldfire tore at the branch he was sitting on with his claws, clearly uncomfortable. "That's crazy, Blue….Believe me, I'm rooting for you. And I'm here to back you up, but…I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling about this plan. What if it catches sight of you before it lands? There goes the 'element of surprise'."

"I'll hunker down against the trunk. My fur is dark enough, it won't see me. You, on the other paw, are going to need to hide in the next tree over, be my lookout. Your orange fur is too easy to spot."

"Whoa, whoa. So let me get this straight. Not only do you want to wait for the White Death right next to its own nest, but now you want me to hide in another tree where I can't even help you if things go wrong? I think we have a new winner."

Bluelight was getting really anxious, but instead of losing his temper, he looked up at his friend with pleading eyes.

"Please, Goldfire…please."

The other tom was silent for a long time. Then, with a long sigh, he stood up and started making his way back to where the climbed up.

"I'm going to regret this, I just know it…"

But before we started down, he turned back one last time.

"Be careful, Bluelight. I'll call out if I see anything wrong, okay? And just know, if I think you're about to torn limb from limb, I will go full 'squirrel mode' and fly over to this tree if I have to."

Bluelight nodded with a smirk. "Just don't fall. You'll die looking ridiculous."

Goldfire grinned. "I never look ridiculous."

It must have been hours that Bluelight waited in that tree, stomach churning with hunger, nose practically melting off from the smell. In all this time, he still hadn't gotten used to it. Goldfire had made successfully over to the next tree and was just barely visible through the canopy. The first thing he did after making it there was call out something about his tree smelling better. But since then, it had been an eternity of nothing but howling wind and creaking wood.

Bluelight dug his claws into the branch as another gust swept through his tree, causing it to sway dangerously. He was sick of this. Sick of the storm, the smell, the bitter cold, all of it. But he couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up. Every time he considered it, he forced himself to remember the terrible vision of Rainkit's fate, and the flame of determination in his heart was immediately rekindled. He just hoped Goldfire was alright. He felt horrible that his friend was enduring this horrible night with him, even if it had been his choice. He was torn between wishing Goldfire was back safely at camp and being relieved that he wasn't out here all alone. He couldn't help feeling guilty and selfish.

Bluelight dropped his head onto his paws, exhausted and trying to get comfortable. He had almost fallen asleep a few times, but the storm always snapped him out of it. He imagined his nest back at camp, right between Goldfire and Treeshadow, who snored like a bear. Their camp was rough around the edges and very hard to maintain, but it was home. The thought made him feel warmer and his eyes began to droop shut once again.

But that's when the storm suddenly surged stronger than it ever had before. The wind hit so hard that Bluelight was almost thrown clean off the branch. He yelped, clinging to the tree with all four feet as the lower half of his body slipped. The wind wasn't letting up either. It continued to roar and batter the canopy as Bluelight used every ounce of strength left to pull himself back up and plastered himself to the trunk for stability.

Bluelight closed his eyes against the stinging gusts, but they flew wide again as a horrific cracking sound filled his ears. He looked around wildly for the source of it. And then, he heard a yowl of fright. Bluelight looked over just in time to see the tree Goldfire was in start to keel over, the terrified tom still clinging to the branches.

"GOLDFIRE!"

Bluelight only managed to scramble down the tree halfway before the wind did the rest. He landed hard in the snow, the wind knocked from his lungs, but he still pushed himself to his feet and surged forward. Clearly, Goldfire's tree had not been the only one blown over. The area was now littered with debris, but it was quickly being covered up by the blizzard. The fallen trees were being swallowed in white before Bluelight could reach them. He became disoriented quickly, not knowing which direction he was going or had come from. There was nothing but the white abyss and the raging winds. He finally stopped, worried that he might wander to an area where the ground dropped out from his feet. Bluelight's limbs shook with fear for the other tom's life. He couldn't lose his best friend, too. He screwed his eyes shut.

And just like that, the winds died off, leaving an odd wake of calm and quiet. Bluelight opened his eyes, and stood a little straighter. Somehow, he had walked into a clearing. That, or all the surrounding trees had been felled. Either way, he was now completely surrounded by nothing, just a blanket of snow as far as his eyes could see, which still wasn't very far. It was very still, no sound at all. Bluelight looked around wildly. How was he going to find Goldfire's tree now?

"Goldfire? Hey, you out there?" he called.

Nothing.

Bluelight's heart raced.

His sound of his own breath was deafening.

He was nowhere.

Alone.

And his friend might be dead.

He had failed….

Again.

And then….

"Aggh!"

Bluelight shrieked as pain suddenly exploded along his back and then, he was being lifted off the ground. He thrashed wildly in the grasp of his unseen foe. And just as suddenly as it happened, Bluelight was dropped, landing in the snow roughly. He panted as he felt the sticky sensation of blood running down his sides. The pain was excruciating. He struggled to his feet and whipped his head around, but his attacker had disappeared again. Bluelight, however, knew good and well what he was up against. And now, if it was even possible, he was at a greater disadvantage than before when he was still in the tree. Out in the open, unable to see pretty much anything, and hunted by a winged creature with superior vision. The odds were not in his favor. But he did not run away.

Instead, he listened, craning his head up. He had missed the wingbeats before, but was now expecting them, so he did his best to tune out all other noises. He stood as still as possible, eyes wide and searching. He barely heard it in time, the sound of rushing air coming from behind him, and he whirled around and face his opponent. Great StarClan, it was fast.

Bluelight eyes widened in horror at the sight of the enormous white owl that descended upon him with talons extended and wings outstretched, eyes huge and yellow like two full moons. It was quite easily the most terrifying thing he had ever seen, worse than he had even imagined. Like a nightmare come to life.

He was barely able to roll away in time as it crashed into the snow where he just been, screeching and beating its wings furiously. It lunged at him again, staying a little ways off the ground, snapping at him a razor sharp beak and even sharper talons. Bluelight scrambled backwards, completely on the defensive. Great StarClan, it was fast. He desperately looked for an opportunity to get the advantage but so far, he could not. His retreat ended as he reached a rather steep part of the hill and fell backwards. He rolled a ways, leaving a streak of blood in the snow, and when he stopped, it was on him again. Its feet landed on either side of him and Bluelight braced, waiting for the killing blow. But it never came.

The White Death let out a screech of fury as, out of nowhere, Goldfire crashed into its side, knocking onto the ground and off of Bluelight. The orange and white tom leapt back, claws and fangs bared, back arched. As the creature recovered, so did Bluelight, as he scrambled to his feet and stood by his friend's side, matching his hostile stance. The owl faced the two warriors, its yellow eyes ablaze, and then took off straight for them.

Bluelight and Goldfire split down the middle, lashing out at the raptor's wings as it passed. It arched around to the right, coming for Goldfire first. The tom spun around and reared up, swinging both paws at its face and yowling. The owl stopped midair, beating its wings back to avoid Goldfire's claws. Bluelight took the opportunity to leap at it from the side, taking a swipe at its front. It screeched and retreated further before landing in the snow, wings still extended to their full length in an intimidating pose. The toms circled it, hissing and yowling, waiting for its next move. Finally, Goldfire tested it, lunging forward with one paw. It retaliated immediately, swiping back at him with one of its own feet, its huge talons catching the edge of Goldfire's paw. The tom drew back in pain, blood staining the snow beneath him. The owl took advantage of the situation and continued to advance on Goldfire. Limping slightly, Goldfire ducked away from the attacks and rejoined Bluelight on the other side. The two looked at each other.

"Together?" Bluelight inquired, his voice raspy.

Goldfire nodded. 'Together."

So, together they attacked, both landing on the huge bird before it could really react. They bit and clawed in a frenzy as the creature shrieked and writhed underneath the onslaught. It ended when the owl managed to sink its talons into Goldfire's hind leg and fling him aside, and likewise knock Bluelight backwards with one of its wings. Before they could recover, it was airborn, and this time, it was retreating for good. As it started to fly away, Bluelight watched after it, and everything else around him faded away. He had come so close to the vengeance that had driven him that night. Everything in his body screamed for him to run away. In his mind, he knew that he should just accept that this was enough, that he had avenged his brother and his clan mates who had been taken by the White Death. But though his mind and body was ready to accept it….

His heart was not.

Goldfire stood shakily and called to his friend. "C'mon, Blue. We did it. We sent it running…flying…whatever. Let's go home while we have the chance."

Bluelight didn't even look at him. "No…it's still alive."

His bright eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth, legs prepared.

"I'm not finished yet."

Before Goldfire could stop him, Bluelight took off, his legs tearing through the snow with new found agility and determination. Any other cat would not have been able to see the owl flying just above the cold white fog, but Bluelight had unusually powerful eyesight, and it was easy for him to spot. He locked on to the outline of its form through the fog and picked up speed. He was aware of a downed log straight ahead and, with very careful timing, used the log to launch himself as high as he could in the air.

He landed on the owl, immediately digging his claws and teeth through its feathers and into its flesh. Completely caught off guard, the creature shrieked in pain and shock before trying to shake off its attacker. When Bluelight would not let go and as his weight began to drag them to the ground, it resorted to snapping at him with its sharp beak, lacerating the tom's face several times. But he still would not let go. In fact, as it continued to snap at him, he released his teeth only to take advantage of its outstretched neck and latch into its throat.

Inevitably, they crashed hard into the ground, but on impact, Bluelight felt the owl's neck snap in his mouth. He did not move at first, just lay in the snow with the dead monster's body sprawled on top of him. He moved only when he heard Goldfire's frantic voice.

"Blue! Oh great StarClan, please don't be dead. Answer me!"

With a groan, Bluelight let go of the limp neck and shoved the body off himself. "I'm alive, which is more than I can say for this piece of foxdung."

"I cannot believe you did that..." Goldfire breathed. "That was either the stupidest or most amazing thing I've ever seen. You took that thing down like…I can't even describe it and- whoa. Bluelight, your face..."

Bluelight could feel the blood running down his face, not to mention the pain, and his right eye was already swelling shut. The chances of him being half blind were pretty high. Goldfire's comment reminded him of how much pain we was actually in, from all of his injuries, combined with the exhaustion from a long, hard night. Bluelight sat down, legs shaking as his body threatened to give out.

Goldfire stepped forward. "Hey, I know you're beat, but we can't rest now. We gotta get back and get these wounds checked out. C'mon, I'll lend you a shoulder if you need it."

Bluelight hoisted himself up slowly but then stopped.

"Wait."

He looked back at the bloody, unmoving form of the White Death.

"I'm taking it back with us, so I might need your help."

"Why?"

"Proof."

Goldfire nodded. "And one hell of a meal."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"The Sunless Season Begins"

 _12 moons later._

"Let all those old enough to catch their own prey meet beneath the High Ledge for a clan meeting."

It was very early in the morning, and Bearstar's booming voice echoed through the camp, waking all that were still asleep very quickly. Bluelight, however, had been awake for hours already. Sleeping was not something he did a lot of lately. And now that the Sunless Season had started, the difference between night and day was minuscule, so it was hard to feel restful. Hearing Bearstar's call, he moved closer to the High Ledge and was soon joined by Goldfire. His friend stared at him for a moment.

"You were awake when we left for the dawn patrol this morning, weren't you?"

Bluelight merely nodded, causing Goldfire to frown.

"Do you ever actually sleep anymore? Not trying to pry, just worried about you. You haven't been yourself in a long time."

Bluelight looked over with a grateful expression. "I know….Thanks for looking out, but I'm fine. Really."

Goldfire gently brushed his tail against Bleulight's shoulder but said nothing more. Instead they turned their attention to their leader, who loomed over his clanmates on the High Ledge…alone.

"Now that we are all present," he started, "I believe it is time to handle our…current situation."

Bluelight and Goldfire exchanged a look. Bearstar always sounded super serious, but today his voice was edged with something more emotional. A sad acceptance.

"It has been almost a moon since any cat has seen a trace of Halfnight. As we all know, there is no known reason he would leave the clan willingly. Multiple patrols have been sent out to the area where he was supposed to be hunting that morning, but nothing has been found. I'm afraid at this point…we must assume the worse. We are all aware of the many dangers that come with our territory, and only StarClan knows which of them might have played a part in Halfnight's disappearance. But despite this tragic development, IceClan can no longer go on without a deputy, especially in these hard times. The Sunless Season is now upon us, and we must be extra prepared."

Bearstar's voice ceased for a moment, allowing some of the IceClan cats to bow their heads in sadness for the loss of their deputy and the acceptance that he would not return. Bluelight looked around, noticing some without the least amount of remorse. The older warrior, Moonscar, was among them. Unfortunately, though Halfnight was a great deputy who was strong, responsible and authoritative, his prickly demeanor had made him rather unpopular with many of his clanmates. In order to stay strong, they needed a deputy that all of the clan respected and also liked. Bearstar probably already knew that.

He raised his head once more. "I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of IceClan is…Goldfire."

Bluelight felt his friend jolt beside him, looking up at his leader with impossibly wide eyes. Although the young warrior seemed shocked himself, Bluelight was not all surprised. Since he became a warrior, Goldfire had proven to be acceptional at everything and was very much liked by almost every cat in the clan. He was still young, but he was accomplished and had mentored an apprentice, so he met all the qualifications.

Goldifre still sat frozen besides him, despite the fact the entire clan was chanting his name. With an amused purr, Bluelight nudged the gold and white tom's shoulder.

"What are you waiting for? Get up there… _deputy."_

Goldfire gazed at him for a second with shining amber eyes, then finally approached the High Ledge and leapt up besides Bearstar. As Bluelight joined in the clan's chanting, Goldfire sat beside his leader and beemed. Bluelight was so proud of his friend that he couldn't help beaming back; he hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

After a moment, Goldfire looked at his leader and sat tall. "I will do everything in my power to be the deputy our clan needs and deserves, I promise."

Bearstar brushed his tail against Goldfire's flank. "I know you will. This was an easy choice."

As the chanting finally started to die off, Bluelight noticed the last cat to go quiet was Daisyfoot…of course. The sleek tabby and white she-cat was quite easily Goldfire's biggest fan. She followed him around all the time, admiring everything he did, always commenting how great of a hunter he was, and things like that. It always embarrassed Goldfire to no end, but Bluelight got great enjoyment out of watching it unfold. The bubbly she-cat was clearly head over heels for the handsome young tom.

Sure enough, as soon as Goldfire leapt down from the ledge, Daisyfoot was beside him, literally bouncing with excitement.

"I knew it!" she chirped, attempting to wrap her tail around his. "I just knew you would be deputy one day, Goldfire. You're the best warrior in the whole clan!"

As this, Goldfire shot an uncomfortable look at Bluelight, who had just joined them. Daisyfoot followed his gaze and immediately back pedaled.

"Oh! I mean…uh, not that I mean there aren't other great warriors in the clan. Sorry, Bluelight, I…I mean, you're amazing too!"

Bluelight merely smirked. "Thanks, Daisyfoot. But you're not wrong, ya know. Goldfire is definitely the best."

Said warrior looked like he wanted to sink into the ground with embarrassment. "Stop it guys, seriously…I'm not better than anyone else."

Bluelight shot him an encouraging look and moved away, allowing Daisyfoot to school him in all the ways his last statement was wrong, and also to give others a chance to congratulate him. Through the sea of activity in the middle of camp, Bluelight noticed one figure standing alone off to the side. Of course, it was Moonscar, the only cat who could ever possibly have a problem with Bearstar's choice. The senior warrior wore an expression of disgust and resentment while watching the newly made deputy being surrounded by his clanmates. Bluelight wasn't sure what it was, but something about Moonscar's attitude made him angrier than usual, and he approached the dark gray tom.

"You know, maybe it would improve your image to congratulate your new deputy, just like every cat here. Out of respect alone, if nothing else."

Moonscar swung his head towards the younger tom, his good jade green eye narrowing. "Respect? How about respecting your superiors and minding your own business, _Bluelight._ "

Bluelight narrowed his eyes back. "Superiors? Don't you mean, _elders?_ "

Moonscar's tail lashed in fury as his stood up, back slightly arched. " _Watch_ it, kit" he snarled. "My age is my advantage. I have more experience than you ever will, and I could use that experience to take your ears off in a single swipe."

Bluelight bared his teeth but remained calm. "I'm just trying to ask you to respect the decision of _your_ leader and be civil about it, you're the one slinging threats at your own clanmate. And for your information, Goldfire is my closest friend, so it _is_ my business when some cat isn't giving him the respect his deserves. Just admit that you're jealous and move on already."

The young warrior swung away from Moonscar, signaling an end to the conversation. He definitely had respect for the senior warrior, and often felt sorry for him, although his isolation within the clan was by choice. But when it came to those he cared about, Bluelight could not simply put up with Moonscar's rotten attitude.

Behind him, the dark gray tom let out a low growl as he started towards the warriors den. "Apparently, our fearless leader values youth and over-confident hotheads over experience and loyalty."

Bluelight whirled around to question what Goldfire could possible lack in the way of loyalty, but Moonscar was already too far away. He watched at his dark gray tail disappeared into the den. The young warrior was seething, and didn't even realize that someone had joined him.

"Ah, my brother really has a way with words, doesn't he?" Fogpelt, IceClan's medicine cat, droned. "He's always been a natural at making friends."

Bluelight dug his claws into the snow beneath his feet. "I don't know how you stood growing up with that prickly fuzz-for-brains. He must have been insufferable as a kit."

"Well, growing up later in life in a different litter helped" Fogpelt replied casually. "He was in our mother's first litter, I was in the second."

"Right, I forgot" Bluelight sighed. "Sorry."

"No worries" the medicine cat meowed. "I'm happy to be the younger, prettier one."

Bluelight glanced at him playfully. "But no less weird."

"Well, there's that. But at least _you_ understand. I share my brother's indifference towards being liked. I do my job and that's it. Speaking of which, I need to go on a supply run. Care to escort me?"

Bluelight straigtened up. "Of course, let me just give Bearstar a head's up."

But Fogpelt proceeded to the camp's exit. "No need, already took care of it. I can go alone if you'd rather stay and save your buddy from his adoring fans."

Bluelight looked over to where Goldfire was _still_ surrounded, looking like he wanted to climb the nearest pine and hide for a while. But he seemed to be handling it well, addressing his clanmates with confidence and pride.

"He's fine. Besides, no one goes anywhere alone, remember? Who knows what happened to Halfnight, but he was one of the strongest warriors IceClan has ever known. Whatever he faced….it's definitely not something you want to meet without some backup."

Fogpelt slowed to allow Bluelight to catch up to him. "And if he merely fell off a cliff?"

The young warrior regarded him with serious blue eyes. "I won't let you fall off a cliff."

"But if I do, you'll just sprout wings and save me, right?"

"Absolutely."

Bluelight followed the medicine cat patiently as Fogpelt made rounds to all of his usual spots. It was difficult to find decent herbs in the dense snow and frozen earth underneath, but Fogpelt had a knack for it, and an incredible memory. He always knew where to look, where to dig. Medicine cats were always considered a bit strange due to their unique connection to StarClan, but Fogpelt was just a little stranger than most. His uncanny abilities paired with his severe lack of social skills made him a bit of an outsider amongst the clan, but Bluelight, who was an outsider himself by choice mostly, understood him better than anyone else and was really his only friend. He actually liked Fogpelt's quirkiness.

For most of the trek, neither had said a word. Bluelight stayed quiet to allow Fogpelt to concentrate. As usual, the medicine cat was in his own world, focused entirely on his task. But suddenly, Fogpelt unexpectedly broke the silence.

"Do they ever hurt?"

Bluelight looked over at him in confusion. "Does 'what' ever hurt?"

"The scars. On your face. Do they ever cause you pain?"

"My scars.…" Bluelight thought about it for a moment. His run-in with the White Death had left his face permanently disfigured, a long scar running across his right eye and another across the bridge of his nose, not to mention the shredded right ear. He also ended up with even worse scars along his spine, three of them running across his back and down his sides. No, they didn't hurt on a regular basis. But…his lack of sleep was due mostly to the horrific nightmares he had whenever he tried, images of his dead brother and the monster that took his life plaguing his mind. This was something he had never shared with anyone, despite being pressed by Goldfire. And whenever he finally woke from these hideous dreams…yes, they hurt a lot. Like they had just happened. He could still feel the sharp talons tearing through his flesh….

Bluelight looked up, meeting Fogpelt's expectant gaze. "Sometimes…when I think about how I got them, which I try not to."

Fogpelt blinked apologetically. "Didn't mean to stir up bad memories, just curious. I find scars very strange. It seems that certain wounds just heal and disappear without a trace, because they don't mean anything. But the ones that do…the ones that don't just hurt you on the outside…those are the ones that seem to scar. And they…never really heal, do they?"

Now, Bluelight was starting to worry. "Is everything okay? You don't usually talk about such deep subjects. You don't have any scars, do you Fogpelt?"

The medicine cat sighed sadly and turned away, continuing his search for herbs. "No, not really. None you can see, anyway…."

At first, Bluelight was totally confused. But then he remembered, during one of Fogpelt's rare serious moments, his odd friend had shared that he was once in love with one of IceClan's she-cat warriors, but had to let it go due to his being a medicine cat. He never told Bluelight who it was, but the young warrior suspected she was still a part of the clan.

"I guess scars aren't always physical…" he said quietly. He knew what it felt like to be damaged emotionally, so he empathized with the other tom. However, he didn't know what it felt like to be in love. That was something he hadn't, and might never, experience. Without another word, he continued to follow Fogpelt while keeping an eye out for any danger.

It wasn't long before they reached the outer edge of their territory, at the border they shared with the late BreezeClan. This signaled the end of Fogpelt's usual journey. As the medicine cat stepped over the border, Bluelight was not at all concerned about meeting an unfriendly BreezeClan patrol, not anymore. It had been several moons since the incident, but the memory of it was still fresh in his mind. After the unexplained absence of BreezeClan at the last Exchange Gathering, they had gone into their neighboring clan's territory to find out what was going on. In a truly horrific revelation, it turned out that an avalanche had completely wiped out the camp and most of the surrounding territory, leaving no cat alive. That day, the four clans of the Howling Mountain, IceClan, BreezeClan, TimberClan and RidgeClan, had become three. Another product of the hazardous conditions of their homes. But the tragedy had still been shocking and horrible. Bluelight shuddered to think what it must have been like. The two clans had never really been allies, per se, but no cat wished such a fate on anyone.

"Here" Fogpelt meowed, breaking through the other tom's thoughts. "This is the last of it."

Bluelight leaned over and carefully picked up the herbs out of the snow, grimacing at the bitter taste of whatever it was, and turned to lead the way home. Until Fogpelt's voice stopped him.

"Wait, hold up a sec."

Bluelight turned to see the medicine cat leaned over with his nose very close to the ground, sniffing at the snow with an odd expression.

"Waff's uf?" Bluelight asked through a mouthful of plants.

"BreezeClan scent."

Bluelight finally set the herbs down again with a sigh. He really wanted to get back. The trip had taken all the day and the sky was already completely dark. Although during the Sunless Season, even the daytime stayed pretty dark.

"Well, this was their territory. It makes sense that some of the scent is still lingering. It hasn't been all that long since it happened."

"It's been long enough for this to not make any sense" Fogpelt replied, straightening up to look at him. "This scent is fresh…like _today_ fresh."

At this, Bluelight's ear flattened and he began to scan their surroundings carefully. "Are you sure it's BreezeClan?"

"Positive."

Both toms went completely silent, listening as the wind gently brushed through the tree branches above them. The snowfall was starting to pick up, causing an eerie white sheen to surround them on all sides. But as the wind died down again, the silence became deafening. Bluelight hardly took a breath. And then….

Fogpelt suddenly perked up and shot Bluelight a look of alarm, his yellow eyes wide and round, ears twitching. The medicine cat's hearing was better than Bluelight's, but the young warrior had the better eyes. He finally heard the crunching of pawsteps in the snow and focused his eyes in the same direction. Barely visible through the haze, he spotted a shape. And the scent became stronger. Fogpelt was right, it was definitely BreezeClan.

He surged forward a few fox lengths, putting himself between his medicine cat and the unknown threat with an arched back and bared fangs.

"I know you're there!" he hissed. "Show yourself, or I'll drag you out myself."

At first, the pawsteps ceased and the outline became still. Then, slowly, the figure approached and emerged through the white. Bluelight's eyes widened. He hadn't been able to tell at first, but now he could see that the figure was actually two, huddled so close that they made one bigger shape.

Standing in front of the two IceClan cats was a ginger furred she-cat with a long feathery tail and a significantly smaller and darker colored tom, pressed so close to her body that he was almost out of sight. Both were shivering.

Bluelight straightened up, not sure what to make of the scene before him. "What…who are you? Where did you come from?"

"P-please…" the small tom meowed weakly. "Please h-help us."

The she-cat was much more collected and serious. She regarded the two toms without a single ounce of fear. "We need to speak to your clan leader."


End file.
